Locating means for internal combustion engine cylinder head cover gasket



Apnl 25, 1961 J. v. GAEBLER 2,981,247

LOCATING MEANS F INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE CYLIND HEAD COVER GASKET Filed June 29, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l M/VE/VTOR (7 7/. QaeZeZ" ATTORNEY April 25, 1961 J. v. GAEBLER 2,981,247 LOCATING MEANS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD COVER GASKET Filed June 29, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MCD-W ATTORNEY United States Patent C LGCATIN G MEANS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD COVER GASKET Joe V. Gaebler, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to International Harvester Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Filed June 29, 1959, Ser. No. 823,682 Claims. (Cl. 12313) This invention relates to locating means for an internal combustion engine cylinder head valve cover gasket and more particularly to means for positively and correctly positioning the cylinder head valve cover gasket on the cylinder head and maintaining such correct position during subsequent installation and securing of the cylinder head valve cover on the cylinder head.

Heretofore engine manufacturers and mechanics were confronted with the problem of correctly positioning the cylinder head valve cover gasket between the cover and the cylinder head mounting surface and retaining such correct position when installing cylinder head valve covers on the engines during manufacture of new engines .or servicing or repairing of old engines. In the case of V- type, overhead valve engines, where the banks of cylinders are arranged angularly with respect to each other,

above mentioned difliculties experienced heretofore when assembling cylinder head valve covers on cylinder heads,

Still another object is the provision of gasket retaining means which does not involve the use of clips, wires, etc., for correctly positioning and maintaining the gasket on the cylinder head during installation of the cylinder head cover.

Still another object of the invention is to provide the cylinder head cover gasket locating means which is simple in design and construction, inexpensive to obtain and which in no way adversely affects the sealing qualities of the gasket.

A further object is the provision of a cylinder head cover gasket locating means for an internal combustion engine which includes a part of the cylinder head gasket.

The foregoing and other important objects and desirable features inherent in and encompassed by the invention together with many of the purposes and uses thereof will become readily apparent from a'reading of'the en'- suing description in conjunction with tlie annex drawings in which:

the problem is particularly vexatious because of the fact that the surfaces of the cylinder heads upon which the cylinder head valve covers are mounted lie in planes other than horizontal planes. Furthermore, because of the disposition of the cylinder head valve covermounting surface on the cylinder head with respect to other engine parts, appurtenances and accessories the cylinder head valve cover cannot be advanced normally with respect to the gasket when placing the cover on the gasket but rather must be moved at an angle less than 90 with respect to the plane of the gasket, and sometimes the valve cover must actually contact and slide over the gasket to correctly position the cover on the cylinder head. Obviously there was no assurance that the gasket was then properly registered with the cylinder head valve cover w and the cylinder head, and, consequently, when the cap screws or other fastening means for securing the cover to the cylinder head were threaded into the cylinder head cover mounting surface, the gasket was damaged if not i totally ruined or the resultant seal between the cylinder head valve cover and the cylinder head supposedly afforded by the gasket was inadequate.

Not only is the task of mounting the cylinder head valve cover on the cylinder head with the gasket correctly positioned therebetween rendered awkward and thus time-consuming by the inaccessible position of the cylinder head valve cover mounting surface, but also by virtue of the fact that cylinder head valve cover gaskets are.

generally composed of a soft compressible material such as cork or other fibrous composition and because of the configuration and form thereof are of a somewhat flexible nature. Hence, a great deal of care must be exercised to maintain the gasket in position on the relatively narrow cylinder head cover mounting surface during assembly of the cylinder head valve cover on the cylinder head.

-It is therefore the primary objective of the present invention to provide new and improved means for holding a cylinder head cover gasket on the cylinder head of an 7 internal combustion engine during installation of the cylinder head cover on the engine which means obviatethe Figure 1 is a side elevational viewof an internal comcylinder head valve cover is broken away to better illustrate the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 2-2 of Figure l; Figure 3 is a plan view of a cylinder head valve cover gasket utilized to practice the invention; Figure 4 is a plan view of a cylinder head gasket disassociated from the internal combustion engine; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 5.'5 of Figure 1. V Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like reference characters represent like elements throughoutthe various views, a conventional overhead valve, V-type internal combustion engine 10 is partially shown. As in conventional V-type engines the engine :10 includes 'a cylinder block 11 having two rows of cylinder banks 12 only one of which is shown in the drawings, arranged at an angle with respect to each other. I Inasmuchas the means for locating and maintaining-the cylinder head cover gasket in proper position during assembly of the valve cover on each cylinder bank 12 is the same such means will be described in detail with reference to only ciprocal in each cylinder in a well known manner and the top of the piston and the surface 15' on the underside of the cylinder head 13 in alignment therewith form a combustion chamber'lti- The cylinder head 13 is provided' with a cored airEfuel mixture intake passageway'17 which has one end in communication with the combustion. chamber 16 and its opposite end in communication with a distribution passage 19 of an intake manifold20, An intake valve 21 slidably mountedin the cylinder head 13 controls the flow of combustiblechargejfronif intake manifold 2010; the combustion chamber 16 g 7 conventional manner; A valve spring gz'pperaavery connected to the valve 21 and the cylirlde'r resiliently. urges the valve21 to it's closed posit shown in Figure 2.1 The valve 21 is moved to its position against the biasing actiohj'o'f the spring rocking a rocker arm 23', Rockingjof the ock into recesses formed-through the cylinder=head 13-aiid each spark plug 27 has its electrode disposed within a respective combustion chamber 16 for igniting the airfuel mixture charge within the combustion chamber 16. The hot'products of combustion are emitted from the combustion chamber 16 through passageways provided in the cylinder head 13 which are in communication with an exhaust manifold 28 attached to the cylinder head 13. The above described engine structure is conventional and'forms no part of the present invention.

The means for positively and correctly positioning the cylinder head valvecover gasket on the cylinder head and maintaining such correct position during installation and securing of the cylinder head valve cover on the cylinder head-includes the intake manifold gasket designated generally by numeral 29. The intake manifold gasket 29 comprises a generally flat elongated section 30 provided with a plurality of spaced openings 31, each of which is encircled by an embossment 32. manifold gasket 29 is constructed of relatively thin sheet metal or the like as is used to construct conventional intake manifold gaskets. One side of the section 30 is adapted to bear against a flatsurface 33 formed on the cylinder head 13 with the openings 31 in registration with the intake passageways 17 leading to the combustion chambers 16 and opening into the surface 33. As in conventional engine installations, the intake manifold 20' is mounted on the surface 33 of the cylinder .head 13 with the flat section 30 sandwiched thereinbetween. The

cored passageways 19 formed in the intake manifold 20 are in communication with the openings 31 in the flat section 30 and the intake passageways 17 formed in the cylinder head 13 for conveyingthe combustible air-fuel longitudinal spacing between each pair of adjacent projections 43 is the same as the longitudinal spacing between adjacent tabs 35 of the intake manifold gasket 29. Each projection 43 has an elongated slot formed therethrough, the purpose of which will be evident presently.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that when the intake manifold" 20 is mounted on thecylinder head 13 with the intake manifold gasket 29 sandwiched thereinbetween as shown in Figure 2, the longitudinal edge 34 lies along theintersection of the plane containing the flat surface 33 and the plane containing the uppermost surface 26 of the cylinder head 13, as in conventional i overhead valve Vtype engine cylinder head construc- The intake tions. Thus the tab 35 projects above and substantially at right angles with respect to the plane of the surface 26. The gasket 40 is placed on the surface 26 and each tab 35 is inserted through a slot 45 of a respective projection 43 as shown in Figures 1 and 5. It will be appreciated that once the locating tabs 35 are caused to project through the projections 43 of the gasket 40, the section 46 of the gasket 40 having the projections 43- integrally formed therewith is substantially fixed with respect to Y the ledge section 39-upon which it is mounted, and the mixture to the combustion, chambers 16. Projecting generally normally from one longitudinal edge 34 of the flat section 30 are a plurality of tabs 35. A tab is provided adjacent each end of the flat section 30 and a third tab is spaced substantially midway between the end tabs, asbest shown in Figure 4. The purpose of the tabs 35 will be pointed out hereinafter. a i

As in conventionaloverhead valve type internal combustion engines, and as partially shown in Figure 2,.various components of the valve actuating mechanism such 'as the valve springs 22, rocker arms 23 and-rocker shaft '25 are located above the plane, containing the top surface 26 j of the cylinder head 13. Inasmuch as the various moving partsof the valve actuating mechanism located above the surface'26 are continuously supplied with lubricant during operation of the engine 10, such parts are en- 'closedby'a' cylinder head valve cover 36. The valvecover 3:;6Qhasan' outwardly projecting flange 37 encircling the opening therein and the fiange37, in turn, is provided with a head or lip 38 at its outermost edge, as best shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5/ The flange 37 is adapted to overlie a flat mounting ledge 39 defining the outer peripheral edge of the uppermost surface 26 of the cylinder head 13. In order to seal the joint between the flange 37 and the relatively narrow ledge 39, a gasket 40, composed of a soft compressible material such as cork or a fibrous composition, is'interposed between the flange 37 and the ledge. The gasket 40 is shaped to register accurately the ledge 39' and the flange 37. The flange 37 is provided with a plurality of spaced apertures therethrough which are registerable with apertures 41 provided in the gasket 4t) which, in turn, are adapted to register with threaded recesses formed in the cylinder head 13 and opening: into the ledge 39. A cap screw or bolt 42 is adapted to project through each .pair of aligned aperhires formed inthe'flange 37 and the'gasket 10 andbe l shown in Figure 3 the gasket40 is provided'with 3' s'paced projections 43.. extending outwardly from one longitudinal edge 44" th ereof. projectionsf 43 are l nsitli ia l ar ait e a s; r -o an r th gasket section 46;

mm 41 provided in the gasket 40.

posed surfaces through said gasket,

attaching bolt-receiving apertures 41 formed in such gasket section 46 are in registration with certain of the threaded recesses formed in the cylinder head and opening into the section of the ledge 39 which is covered by the With thegasket 40 positively and correctly positioned on the ledge 39 by the interlock relationship of the tabs 35 and the projections 43, the cylinder head cover .36 is'then advanced toward the gasket 40 until the flange 37 abuts the gasket 40 and the bolt-receiving apertures thereof are in registration with the aper- Thereafter the cap screws or bolts 42 are inserted through the registering apertures and threaded into the aligned recesses in the head; 13 to ,firmly clamp the cylinder head valve cover 36 to the cylinder head 13 with the gasket 40 thereinbetween. p v The embodiment of the invention chosen for the purposes of description and illustration herein is that preferred for achieving the objects of the invention and developing the utility thereof in the most desirable manner due regard being had to-existing factors of economy, simplicity of design and construction, production methods, and the improvements sought'to be eflected. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the particular structural and functional aspects emphasized herein are. not intendedto exclude but rather to suggest such other adaptations and modifications of the invention as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is'claimed is: 7

1. In an internal combustion engine having a cylinder head provided with a pair of exposed flat surfaces arranged angularly with respect to each other; a gasket; and means operatively engaging said gasket for securing said gasket to one of said exposed surfaces, said means being spaced laterally of said one exposed surface and extending parallel'with respect to the other of said exsaid means being mounted on said other of said exposed surfaces.

2. In an internal combustion engine a gasket mounting comprising the combination of a cylinder head'provided with a pair of substantially flat exposed surfaces disposed substantially atiright angles with respect to each other; a gasket; and means operatively, engaging said gasket for securing said gasket to one of said exposed surfaces said means being spaced laterally'cf said one ing comprising the combination of a cylinder head provided with a pair of substantially flat exposed surfaces disposed substantially at right angles with respect to each other; a gasket; and means operatively engaging said gasket for securing said gasket to one of said exposed surfaces, said means being spaced laterally of said one exposed surface and extending parallel with respect to the other of said surfaces through said gasket, said means being carried by a second gasket mounted on said other of said exposed surfaces.

4. In an internal combustion engine, a gasket mounting comprising the combination of a cylinder head having a pair of substantially flat exposed surfaces disposed substantially at right angles with respect to each other; a valve cover gasket; and means operatively engaging said gasket for securing said gasket to one of said exposed surfaces, said means being carried by an intake manifold gasket mounted on the other of said exposed surfaces and being spaced laterally of said one exposed surface and extending substantially parallel to said other of said exposed surfaces through said valve cover gasket.

5. In an inernal combustion engine, a gasket mounting having a pair of substantially flat exposed surfaces disposed substantially at right angles with respect to each other; an intake manifold gasket mounted on one of said surfaces; a valve cover gasket; and means fixed to said intake manifold gasket and operatively engaging said valve cover gasket for securing said valve cover gasket to the other of said exposed surfaces, said means extending substantially parallel to said one exposed surface through projections carried by said valve cover gasket.

6. In an internal combustion engine substantially as set forth in claim 5, in which, said means carried by said intake manifold gasket and operatively engaging said valve cover gasket securing said valve cover gasket to said other of said exposed surfaces includes a plurality of spaced tabs adjacent the intersection of said exposed surfaces, said tabs extending substantially perpendicular to and projecting through the plane containing said other of said exposed surfaces.

7. In an internal combustion engine, a gasket mounting comprising the combination of a cylinder head having a pair of intersecting, substantially flat exposed surfaces disposed substantially at right angles with respect to each other; an intake manifold gasket mounted on one of said exposed surfaces having a longitudinal edge thereof adjacent the intersection of said exposed surfaces; a valve cover gasket; and tab means integrally formed with said intake manifold and extending parallel to said one exposed surface from said longitudinal edge of said intake manifold gasket adjacent the intersection of said exposed surfaces, said tab means projecting through projections carried by said valve cover gasket.

8. In an internal combustion engine, a gasket moun ing substantially as set forth in claim 7, in which, said projections carried by said valve cover gasket are provided with slot means, and said tab means are inserted in said slot means.

9. In an internal combustion engine, a gasket mounting comprising the combination of a cylinder head having a pair of substantially fiat exposed surfaces disposed substantially at right angles with respect to each other; an intake manifold gasket secured to one of said exposed surfaces; a valve cover gasket; and interengaging means between said intake manifold and valve cover gaskets for securing said valve cover gasket on the other of said fiat exposed surfaces.

10. In an internal combustion engine substantially as set forth in claim 9, in which, said interengaging means includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced projections integrally formed with and adjacent one longitudinal edge of said valve cover gasket, each of said projections having a slot formed therethrough, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced tabs integrally formed with and adjacent one longitudinal edge of said intake manifold gasket, each of said tabs being receivable in a respective slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 790,093 Wiedeman May 16, 1905 811,000 Tompkins Jan. 30, 1906 1,705,454 Griffiths Mar. 12, 1929 1,877,051 Read Sept. 13, 1932 2,543,963 Gaflin Mar. 6, 1951 2,658,493 Kloss Nov. 10, 1953 2,679,241 Dickson May 25, 1954 

